VOLVO INVESTS IN YOUTH EMPLOYMENT INITIATIVE AT SOUTH AFRICA PLANT

DURBAN– Responding to President Cyril Ramaphosa’s Thuma Mina (Youth Employment Service, or YES) initiative, the Volvo Group Southern Africa is introducing a youth employment initiative at which was unveiled Saturday in its assembly plant in Durban to help address South Africa’s high unemployment rate among the youth.

Since 2015, Volvo Group Southern Africa has invested more than 86 million Rand (about 6.7 million US dollars) on apprenticeship training, automotive industry learnerships, disabled persons’ learnerships, as well as internships. This year, President of Volvo Group Southern Africa TorbjAlrn Christensson said, the company is investing another 25 million Rand as part of the Youth Employment Service (YES), which will target Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) college students.

During the course of the year, the company will also establish a specialised Driver Training Academy to address the shortage of skilled drivers in the region, at an investment of 1.4 million Rand and also continuing with their involvement in Star for Life, a non-profit organization that aims to provide young people in southern Africa with essential life skills, sports training and health education to the tune of 7.8 million Rand.

Volvo’s initiative is in line with the YES initiative led by President Ramaphosa. Launched in March, between business, government, labour and civil society, to create one-year paid positions for youth aged between 18 and 35 with a minimum paid stipend of 3,500 Rand a month.

Christensson said Volvo believes in the future of South Africa, especially in the youth and the endless potential they hold. As a global company, with a strong commitment to the success of South Africa, we also support government’s initiative to focus on youth development as is envisioned in initiatives such as the proposed Youth Employment Service, Christensson said.

Source: NAM NEWS NETWORK

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